A 27-year-old Google employee was found dead in Princeton, Massachusetts, on after she went missing during an afternoon jog on Monday 8 August. Vanessa Marcotte, who lived in New York, was found without clothes and burned in a wooded area about a half-mile from her mother's home, police said.

"A preliminary review of the body has led detectives to believe this is a homicide investigation," Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr said, according to WCVB. "We do not know if this is a random act."

A state police source said it was not clear whether Marcotte had been assaulted but she was found naked. Marcotte's hands, feet and part of her heard were burned, WCVB reported.

Marcotte's family reported her missing on Sunday, 7 August after she did not return from a 1pm walk. WCVB reported her body was discovered around seven hours later. "We are asking (residents) to be very careful. Right now we have an active homicide investigation going on. You can't be too careful," Early said.

According to the New York Daily News, Early said there was "nothing at this point" connecting Marcotte's death to the unsolved murder of Karina Vetrano, a female jogger in Queens last week.

The victim was an account manager for Google, Early told the press. "Vanessa Marcotte was a much loved member of the Google team, working in our New York office for the last year and a half, and known for her ubiquitous smile, passion for volunteer work, and love of Boston sports," a Google spokesperson said. "We are deeply shocked and saddened, and our thoughts are with her family and friends."

Marcotte - originally from Leominster, Massachusetts - graduated from Boston University's College of Communication in 2011. She previously worked for Wordstream and Vistaprint before moving to New York. "It's terribly sad. We feel terrible for her family and friends. They're in our thoughts and prayers," Boston University spokesman Colin Riley said.